


The Bite of the Wolf

by Orpah



Category: Brave (2012), Frozen (2013), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2018-01-05 17:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1096701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orpah/pseuds/Orpah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Princesses all over are disappearing to places unknown. When Merida is bitten by a werewolf and wakes up with no memory of it, will she be able to piece together the reason that she and the others have been targeted?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was red, burning, aching pain wrapped around Merida like an asphyxiating sheet. She tried to move, but found herself stiff, seemingly paralyzed. She let out a long, loud noise, fighting against the pain and trying to move.

Her hand began to tremble, and her whole body broke down in quavering shakes. It was like trying to breathe with a handkerchief shoved down her throat, and she began to choke, and as the red started to clear away to black, she heard a voice.

“That's it, pull out of it; you can do it.” The voice was male, but young, full of solid reassurance.

She came alive as the black and red faded away from her vision, taking a huge gasp of air. Her whole body ached, but as her eyes came open, she could see wood above her and smell a burning fire. Her ears crackled, as though she'd come up from a deep lake or come to from knocking her head.

Letting out a sound, she realized her tongue was nearly stuck to the roof of her mouth, and words felt impossible. Her mouth felt as though everything had been baked in an oven, sticky and sore.

“There you go,” the voice sighed, sounding in relief. She looked over, still blinking a lot, to see that it was a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, and a rather oval face. As he opened his mouth to speak, she could see he had crooked teeth. “Welcome back to the land of the living!”

Cool water splashed into her open mouth, and she realized he was pouring it in with a tin cup. She spluttered, but swallowed quickly, feeling her mouth coming back to normal.

When she could breathe, and speak, she said, “Where am I? What's going on?” She must have sounded frightened, or angry, because he held up his hands placatingly.

“Whoa, calm down; it's okay.” He was refilling the cup, despite the fact the first cupful was still splattered on her face, as she licked the corners of her mouth for the moisture. He gave her a curious look, adding, “You don't remember anything, do you?”

It was like her mind was a blank, as she dimly recalled something about a family. Yes, mother, father, triplet brothers... It was all there, just infuriatingly blurry. One thing was for sure, though, she had no idea where she was right then and who she was with. Her throat scratched as she asked, in a slightly more irritable tone, “What is going on?”

“It's okay; you're in what I like to call the Refuge.” The boy held the cup out, saying, “Here, drink some. It'll help.”

Pushing herself up onto her elbows, Merida took the cup, dribbling water on herself as she awkwardly drank from it. The water was heavenly, like ice during a hot spell. “Are you going to explain to me what's going on or not?”

The boy gave a sort of half smile, as if it was mildly funny that she was so insistent. She realized they were on the ground, and he was sitting cross-legged over from her. “My name's Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. I run this Refuge, when I can. I'm not always here, but it's a safe place for people like you-”

“What do you mean, people like me?” Merida demanded, handing back the tin cup as she drew herself further up. Her whole body felt like it had been trampled by cows, and protested as she sat up.

The half smile disappeared from Hiccup's face, as he scratched the back of his neck. “Oh boy, this part never gets easier...” An awkward expression appeared on his face, as he said, “You're not going to like this, but you're going to find out eventually, so...”

“What is it?” Merida was already quite tired of him trying to buy time until the unfortunate news was delivered. A wild fear struck her; was she an orphan? Was this a place for unmarried young women?

“Well, there's no other way to put it: you were bit. You're a werewolf now,” Hiccup said, in a tone that suggested he'd rather not be the one giving her the news; however, he also sounded like he said this a lot.

Merida stared. Werewolves were mindless beasts come the full moon, bloody snouts and fearsome claws terrorizing the local people. Lately, there had been a small resurgence in werewolfism, but the local hunters had been putting them down quickly. 

She'd only ever associated werewolves with the great severed heads that hunters presented for their prizes. The thought that she now had or would have a great furry head, and huge body capable of tearing people to shreds, made her head buzz. “What? No, no, I'm not a werewolf! I would know something like that!”

Hiccup sighed, saying gently, “You were in Werewolf Hollow; I don't know why, but you were. You were kind of torn apart by a wolf. It's sort of a miracle that the bite took effect as quickly as it did, and healed you up like this.”

Merida didn't even know what Werewolf Hollow was, which gave her a prickling fear in her stomach. “Where is this place? Where am I?”

Hiccup didn't look surprised by this question either, saying, “You're in Berk. Well, you're pretty near the border, but still in Berk. Why? Where did you come from?”

Merida was a whole country over. She felt blood pulsing in her ears, as she stood abruptly, nearly falling down. “You're going to take me home right now,” she said, already trying to walk out of there, “I don't belong here, I belong home with my family!”

Hiccup stood up too, but he stood in her way. He seemed apologetic, but he said, “You can't go home, wherever home is; you're a werewolf now, have you been listening? What do you think they'll do to you?”

This made Merida pause, her blood racing through her veins. It was true that werewolves weren't looked on kindly in her homeland; they weren't generally looked on kindly almost anywhere. And that was because they were a danger, senseless destruction waiting to be unleashed every full moon... but if she was one, what did that make her?

“Look, I know it's not easy accepting that you're a werewolf,” Hiccup said, “But you've really got to stay here. Here is the only safe place for you.”

Merida took another step forward, and wobbled. She let out a huff, insisting, “I will leave when I can stand straight, and not a moment after.” She couldn't accept that she was a werewolf. It wasn't something that happened to princesses, wasn't normal in any sense of the word. 

Hiccup seemed to take this as a good sign, and sighed, saying, “You should lie back down, then.” 

She did so, and banished thoughts of werewolves from her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merida meets Anna, Rapunzel, and Jack Frost, and tries to come to terms with the fact that she is now a werewolf.

“She just looks so peaceful sleeping.”

“I know! It’s so exciting to have another girl here!”

Merida became aware, in a half awake sort of way. Two girls’ voices seemed to come from right above her, floating around in light tones. They sounded very lively, and Merida peeled her eyes open to look.

Two girls stood over her; one had short, chopped brown hair and big green eyes. The other had reddish-blonde hair, and widened her eyes as she saw Merida’s eyes open. “She’s awake!”

“Please don’t crowd her,” she heard Hiccup say, and she could hear him walking over, boots making clomping noises on the floor of the house. If it was a house; it appeared to be some sort of wooden house, though in a bit of disrepair.

“We won’t,” the short-haired one said, and she smiled sweetly at Merida. “Hi, I’m Rapunzel, and this’s Anna. What’s your name?”

“Merida,” Merida replied, and she must have been scowling with sleepiness, because Anna said,

“Oh, you’re not mad, are you? Did we wake you up?” She seemed excited, a pair of braids bouncing against her shoulders as she moved. Her blue eyes were on Merida’s face, then darting over to look at Hiccup, as if looking to him for what to do.

Merida let out a grumbling sigh, feeling a whole body ache as she moved to sit up. “I’m awake either way.” She looked to Hiccup, who was stirring a large pot over a fire.

“Hey, that’s good news,” Hiccup said, giving her a smile. It was as though he thought she would be staying, with him and his two friends. It made her blood begin to heat up, and she glared at him.

“I’m leaving today.”

“I thought you said she was one of us,” Rapunzel said, face crinkled in confusion. She looked to Hiccup, as though any reason Merida would leave was a crazy one. 

Hiccup sighed. “She is. She’s just stubborn.”

Now Merida wanted to hit Hiccup. “I’m not just being stubborn! I’ve got to go home!” She could feel the anger beneath her skin, tempting her to act out and yell at Hiccup. If he thought he could keep her here, he was so wrong.

“You can’t be serious.” This voice came from beyond the girls and Hiccup, and Merida looked to see a white haired boy in the doorway of the little house. He had a staff in hand, and he leaned against the doorway carelessly.

“I am serious!” Merida snapped, infuriated at the mere sight of the boy; the way he looked at her as though she were just some silly girl who woke up and decided what she wanted was more important than what they said.

“But what about your family?” Anna asked, looking to Rapunzel. The other girl met her eyes and looked at Merida with concern.

“That’s why I’m going back, they’ll be worried sick!” Merida said, aggravated. She didn’t like the way everyone in the room was looking at her like she was stupid.

“Well, that’s fine and all… If you want to tear them to pieces on a full moon. Totally up to you,” the white haired boy said, rolling his eyes. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and seemed like he would slouch out of there at any moment.

This made Merida pause. “I’ll tell them I’m a werewolf, and we’ll figure it out.”

Hiccup cut in then, sighing, “I’m sorry, but it’s just not… likely that they’ll be able to help you. I mean, werewolves are strong, superhumanly strong. Even if your family accepts you, it’s going to be really hard to restrain you during the full moon. And if you get free…”

Anna and Rapunzel were looking at Merida with sympathy, as if they understood.

Merida could feel her chest start to heave a bit, a sort of panic clawing at the corners of her vision. She couldn’t just leave her family behind. It wasn’t fair, and they would miss her terribly. She would miss them terribly. A lump rose in her throat, as the reasoning of the people around her was starting to make sense.

Rapunzel reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I know it hurts; I left behind my family too. But it’s the only way to protect them from, well, us.”

Merida’s eyes burned, and she turned away, jerking out from under Rapunzel’s hand. She didn’t want to hear similar stories, and she didn’t want people to look at her with pity. She turned away, and kicked the bed.

Anna gasped, and Hiccup said, “I think we should leave her alone. Come on, guys.”

The people filed out, and Merida was left with her own thoughts. As it was, she felt anger, and pounded into the straw mattress with her fists. Anger boiled in her veins, and she screamed.

How could this happen to her? Why her? And how could she be expected to never, ever, see her family again?

The tears were leaking down her face before she even recognized they were there, and she scrubbed at her face with her sleeves, before collapsing on the bed and burying her face in her arms.

To think, she’d once wanted to be free of her family. Now, she was going to be separated from them forever.

She was left in silence to cry herself out, and the others didn’t bother her for the next hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It should start picking up more next chapter. I'm still getting in the swing of this fandom(s).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merida comes to terms with what's happened to her for now, and gets to know her new cabin mates.

Merida’s eyes were especially achy as she sat up on the bed. As she looked around the room, tired and having cried herself out, she could see that there was a stack of mattresses or pallets of some kind against the wall, and the wooden walls looked weak at some points.

It was easier to think about the place, where the soup was kept warm over the fireplace and the smell of vegetables and meat filled the air. It was much harder to think of the castle where she formerly lived, and the family she had left behind.

“Hey, are you doing okay now? I couldn’t hear you crying, so…” Anna’s head was poking in through the doorway, fingers wrapped around the door. 

Merida let out a sigh, and Anna seemed to take this as a yes.

“Okay, good! Are you hungry? I’m hungry. How about some soup? Hiccup and Rapunzel made it,” Anna babbled, as she tripped over to the pot hanging over the fire. She put on a glove and swung the pot out from over the fire on some sort of turning hook; steam poured from the soup as she lifted the lid and took an appreciative sniff.

“It’s not chocolate, but it’s really good stuff,” she promised, as she ladled some into a bowl. She extended the wooden bowl to Merida, watching her like one might watch a possible bomb, though there was still a hint of a friendly smile about her face.

Merida’s stomach growled, and she took the bowl. Anna swiftly handed her a spoon, also wooden and smooth to the touch. As she dug in to the stew, which tasted heavily of deer meat and carrots, she asked, “So you’re all werewolves?”

“Uh huh! Well, except Hiccup.” Anna was ladling herself a bowl, grinning at Merida. She took a seat on the floor across from her. “Hiccup, well, he sort of runs the place. Ever since he found Jack, he’s tried to help us not be beheaded or starving. He and Jack built this house.”

“Who’s Jack?” Merida was starving, it felt like, and she tucked into the soup, somehow remembering to chew with her mouth closed, a bitter pang striking her heart as she remembered her mother.

“Oh, Jack’s the boy with white hair. He’s nice, and lots of fun. He’s been spending the last few days building a snow track with Rapunzel and me.” Anna ate her soup more politely, but she did tend to talk around her food a little bit.

It was easier to keep asking questions than to think much about anything else, so Merida asked, “Why does he had white hair?”

“Oh, he says he doesn’t remember. He doesn’t remember anything from before he became a werewolf,” Anna said, shaking her head. “Rapunzel and I both remember a lot from our earlier lives, but Jack knows nothing.”

“That’s sad,” Merida replied, thinking on her own memory loss. A frustrating blank encompassed where her memories of the previous night or so should have been; she didn’t know if it was the same for the others.

“Yeah,” Anna agreed, then she brightened up. “Oh, you have to try the track! Jack made it slick with ice, and when you get on the sled, it goes so fast!”

Merida didn’t feel like doing anything outside in the snow. She supped a bit longer, saying, “I’d rather not. My body still hurts.”

Anna shrugged, saying, “Okay, you can try it later; we’ll have snow for some time longer, probably.”

At that point, Jack and Rapunzel came in, cheeks pink and rubbing at their arms. Snow was attached to their clothes, as though they’d been rolling around in it.

“You might want to watch your back from now on, Frost!” Rapunzel giggled, brushing the snow from her hair. It was a very short, brown hair, and it struck Merida as odd that a girl should have such short hair.

“Or, I could just stuff snowballs down the back of your dress,” Jack retorted, grinning. His grin faded a bit on seeing Merida, as he shook off the snow like a dog.

“Guys! There’s plenty of soup over on the hearth, still hot,” Anna said, gesturing towards the pot.

Both teens dug in, settling on the floor on either side of Anna and slurping, though Jack more than Rapunzel.

Merida watched them. They were in each other’s space, jabbing each other with spoons and making jokes. They laughed like they truly enjoyed each other’s company. It made Merida feel a bit lonely, as though she were some strange extra wheel.

“So, Merida. You still going back to your home?” Jack watched her for a reaction, as though he expected her to burst into an angry tirade about how she deserved to go home, and how they would love her anyway and figure out a way to keep her with them.

The truth was, however, that she had no such speech. She had nothing in mind that supported her going back to her parents and triplet brothers, back to the stone castle instead of the hefty wooden structure that she sat in now, feeling the chill come in through the cracks. She didn’t know how she could even justify going back to them now.

Werewolves were bloodthirsty creatures, and she was one now. She had to stay away from her family. “I’m not going. Not yet.”

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t hope…


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merida is starting to remember things.

Hiccup didn’t come back for the rest of the night. When bed time apparently came, she was offered the bed and practically tucked in by Anna.

Merida decided that Anna liked people just a little too much.

The three pulled out the pallets and mattresses and snuggled up together almost like puppies. At first, Merida had wondered why, until the cold began to cut in through the cracks in the walls. Then she wished she could join them, huddled under her three or four blankets and shaking.

In the morning, which she slept fairly badly through (how on earth did she sleep so well the first time?), Merida was awakened by the sound of a ladle hitting the sides of a pot, and the smell of oatmeal.

As she looked up, she could see Hiccup stirring the pot, a crease in his brow as he stared into it. Maybe it was the heat, or perhaps he had something on his mind; it was impossible to tell.

“Good morning, Merida!” Rapunzel was smiling over at her, folding up blankets and already dressed for the day. Neither Anna nor Jack were anywhere to be found.

“Morning,” Merida groused, feeling that she probably hadn’t slept enough and probably wasn’t going to get to. She rose from her bed, feeling the icky sensation of having been in the same clothes all day and night. She realized, however, that this was not one of her dresses; it was rougher, and hung more like a tunic.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Hiccup said, grinning, but dropping it when he saw the look on her face. She must have been scowling. He scooped oatmeal into a bowl, its steam rising from the surface. “Hungry?”

“Yes,” Merida said, and with a fiendish delight at not saying please, took the bowl. She didn’t need to say please; Hiccup was offering and she was accepting. She still felt a pang as she thought of her mother and how she would react.

The bowl was slid into her hands, and she realized most of the oatmeal was already gone. They must have eaten without her. 

“We were thinking you could go outside with us today,” Rapunzel said with a smile. She put the last blanket in a stack on top of the pallets and mattresses and stood across from Merida. “We’ve gotten snowclothes for you, so you won’t be cold.” 

“I’ll come out,” Merida said, sighing. It was better than being cooped up all day; she’d always preferred the outdoors to inside anyhow. 

Rapunzel shoved the mittens, woolen cloak, sweater, woolen skirt, and wool stockings at her before she could even blink. “Boots for you are by the door! Hiccup got them for you this morning.”

“Thanks, Hiccup,” Merida said, almost automatically. She put down her bowl and started to pull on her things.

Hiccup grinned, scratching the back of his neck. “Well, I figured you wouldn’t want to stay inside. Most werewolves get an urge to be outside a lot of the time…”

She was already like that, but she didn’t say so. Instead, she put on the extra clothes and straightened up, feeling somewhat warmer now that she was bundled up. Rapunzel pulled her hood up for her, just like a mother would. Her hair was barely contained.

As she stepped out into the snow, which had a gentle snowfall still coming down, she looked out to see bare trees surrounding the house. A hill rose to the left, and a ravine lay to the right. As she stood, taking in the bare scene, Anna and Jack flashed past, on a sled and streaking towards the ravine.

“Jack! You have to slow it down!” Anna shrieked, and in a split second, Jack was on the outside of the sled, using his feet to drag the sled to a slower speed. They only gently crashed into the bottom of the ravine, and Merida could hear their laughter floating up.

The snow seemed to stretch on forever, and Merida began to walk. She didn’t know where she was going, but a terrible sense of being trapped had come over her.

“Merida? You okay?” Jack’s words were ignored, as he looked up from underneath the pile of snow on his head.

She walked out of the clearing that marked their living space, and into the dark trees that seemed to go on endlessly. A thought that there must be a way out beat next to her heart, and she started to pick up her pace.

“Merida! Where are you going?” Anna called, and there was the crunch of snow behind Merida.

Images, feelings, flashed through her as the sound of footsteps behind her struck her ears. Ropes digging into her wrists, a hot breath on her ear, the smell of the inside of a sack… cold, all cold, soaked through the clothes and unable to get out of it.

She was running before she even thought much about it, leaving deep footprints through the snow.

“Merida!” The shout from behind her only made her run faster, and lord knew she was fast.

More images and thoughts went through her mind. Blackness, sightlessness, unable to move; a thick film in her mouth, tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. An aching skull, eyes barely able to keep open.

“Merida!”

Her legs were pumping furiously now, as the most horrible images of all were conjured up: hot breath on her neck, the sniffing of a predator, the claws, the teeth, tearing apart and mindless red pain—

She was tackled promptly, face down into the snow. She screamed, struggled against her attacker; she landed a good scratch into his face, but that didn’t stop him.

He had her arms pinned as he sat on her, saying, “Merida, calm down, it’s okay, you’re safe, calm down!”

It was Jack. All at once, she was cold and wet in the snow, and stopped struggling. “Let me up!”

“Only if you promise you’re not going to run,” Jack said.

“I’m not going to run! Now let me up!” Her arms were released, and the weight taken off of her. She stood up immediately, cheeks flushed from the run. She looked at Jack, to see him looking back at her with concern, almost pity in his eyes.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. I don’t know what came over me,” Merida said, taking deep breaths. She started brushing the snow off of herself, not looking at him. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but the look on his face filled her with anger.

Jack was silent a moment, and then he said, “Are you ready to go back?”

“I’m ready,” Merida said, and they started the slow trudge back.


End file.
